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By April J. Buchanan | Community Columnist

Throughout church history, there have been many times in which it seemed that those in opposition to the Christ’s church were succeeding, yet we have this assurance of our Lord, that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. Not in her own strength will she prevail, but because God is Sovereign and He is in control.

Today, we face our own challenges of those both inside and outside the church. From within, we have opposition to the true Gospel, the sufficiency of scripture, the redefining of terms. As much as those before us stood firmly in the truth of God’s Word, so we must do the same.

Many lost their lives, and many were burned at the stake, in order to make it possible that God’s Word could be in the hands of common man. Now, today, many take for granted His Word, and it’s nothing more than a decorative piece in the home, rightly placed for when the pastor stops by.

Today, there are many who are clever in their attempts to redefine terms, (like atonement), and while we are using the same term, we do not mean the same thing. In ignorance and laziness to God’s Word, many do not recognize when what they are being taught, or what others are saying, is false doctrine. In the name of “love” and for the sake of “unity” (as redefined and not holding Biblical definitions), many are silent when we should speak, and others speak but out of passionate ignorance.

Unity is should not be at the price of truth.

In honor of this Reformation month (commemorating the start of the Protestant Reformation), I want to encourage us to look back at the early church fathers and the reformers. Have we distanced ourselves so far from historical, Biblical Christianity that it is nearly unrecognizable? Is what we believe based on sound doctrine? Have we bought into the lies of popular, yet false, versions of Christianity? Are we allowing culture to redefine Christianity, in the name of “love,” “unity,” “diversity,” “inclusion?” Do we hold to the 5 Solas of the reformation: Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, Scripture Alone, the Glory of God Alone?

How familiar are we with church history and the challenges faced throughout our history? Are we redefining Christianity or holding firmly to historical, Biblical Christianity?

This is why it is important that when we study God’s Word, we consider what it meant to the original audience, who was speaking and who they were speaking to. We make many errors when we go to the text and look for ourselves in every passage and try to make the passage about us, reading into it, instead of out of it.